1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an output filter (post-filter) for a delta sigma modulator used in a digital signal processor for a mobile telephone, PDA, music reproducing amplifier, etc, and a digital signal processor provided with the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the present time, in the field of the digital audio and the like, it is a general exercise to quantize a digital signal of multi-bits into that of one bit by means of a delta sigma modulator, because it simplifies the input/output configuration, saves the number of gates for the computing unit in calculation, and facilitates to build up a simplified system.
The delta sigma modulator allocates low-boosting integrators to the input stage thereof, allocates low-cutting differentiators to the output stage thereof, and unevenly distributes quantized noises to a higher frequency, which brings a noise shaping effect to enhance the S/N ratio in the audio band.
The quantized data (“1” or “0”) of one bit, quantized by the delta sigma modulator, are converted into analog signals, which are inputted to the following stage output filter 1. The output filter 1 removes high-frequency noises, and obtains a satisfactory reproduction waveform.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating one example of the output filter (active filter) 1, which converts one-bit-quantized data generated by a digital sigma modulator 2 into analog signals to output, and inputs the output to the active filter 1.
In order to enhance the performance of the delta sigma modulator, it is necessary to raise the degree of a noise-shaping filter used in this modulator. To raise the degree of the filter for that purpose will involve increasing the quantized noises having experienced the noise shaping. To remove the noises requires sharpening the high-frequency cut-off characteristic of the output filter 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, which accompanies to raise the degree of the output filter 1 shown in FIG. 2.
That is, the output filter 1 illustrated in FIG. 2 removes the high-frequency noise components contained in the output data of the delta sigma modulator 2, however this circuit configuration is incapable of sufficiently removing the noise components, unless the degree of the output filter 1 is raised.
However, to raise the degree of the output filter (active filter) 1 will increase the output resistance thereof to that extent, and the resistors will deteriorate the noise level.
In order to improve this situation, there has been a proposal that uses an FIR filter for the output filter to enhance the filter characteristic.
The circuit illustrated in FIG. 3 provides the output filter using an FIR filter in replacement for the output filter (active filter) illustrated in FIG. 2, thereby improving the filter characteristic.
That is, the circuit delays the output data that the delta sigma modulator 2 generates through the digital-to-analog conversion, in accordance with the taps of a shift register S composed of multi-stage flip-flops (F/F) F1, F2, . . . Fn of an FIR filter 4. On the basis of the delayed data, the circuit controls MOS transistors T1, T2, . . . Tn to convert currents into voltages by means of resistors 7a and 7b connected to a current source, attains the voltages weighted according to the FIR filter coefficients, adds these voltages, and outputs the result from an output circuit 5 configured with a LPF.
This circuit includes the FIR filter 4, and it improves the filter characteristic accordingly. However, since the FIR filter 4 takes on a configuration that uses the resistors 7a and 7b as the current source, converts currents into voltages, and attains specified voltages, there arise thermal noises since the currents flow through the resistors 7a and 7b. Besides, the application circuit (attached circuit) of an operational amplifier 5a of the output circuit 5 configured with the LPF has large resistances, and in this part arise significant noises by the resistors. On top of that, since the operational amplifier 5a is incapable of eliminating common mode noises, if the filter characteristic is improved, the noise level is not improved as the whole, which is a problem to be solved.
It is confirmed that there exists a circuit configuration using an FIR filter as the output filter for the delta sigma modulator (see JP 1995-74645A), however there does not exist equivalence to this invention.